iOS 8.3 Enables WiFi Calling for Sprint, EE Subscribers [iOS Blog]

Today's iOS 8.3 update expands iOS 8's WiFi calling feature to two new carriers: Sprint in the United States and EE in the United Kingdom.



WiFi calling is a feature that was first introduced in iOS 8, letting users make phone calls using WiFi instead of a cellular network when connected to a WiFi network. T-Mobile has thus far been one of the only carriers to support Wi-Fi calling in the United States, until today.





Following the iOS 8.3 update, Sprint users can toggle on Wi-Fi calling in the "Phone" section of the Settings app, which will let them make calls over Wi-Fi when a Wi-Fi network is available. Wi-Fi calling can be useful when cellular signal is low, and calls also have improved sound over Wi-Fi.



According to Sprint's website, users will need to install the iOS 8.3 update and download Carrier Version 19.1. Sprint says the carrier update can be triggered by going to Settings --> General --> About after installing iOS 8.3, but the company's announcement suggests it may take a few days to roll out to everyone.



Enabling Wi-Fi calling is a similar process for EE subscribers in the United Kingdom. According to Engadget , EE users will need to update to iOS 8.3 and then enable WiFi calling in the Settings app, after which the feature will be activated in a few hours. EE's limiting the number of iPhones able to register for WiFi calling to 100,000 per day, so there may be a waiting period for some users.



WiFi calling is available for iPhone 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus users with Sprint and EE service.

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Posted in 2015 at 10:34PM, April 08

Disney, Apple Arguing Over Channels to be Included in New Streaming Television Service

Disney is one of the partners Apple is working with on its upcoming streaming television service, and according to a new report from The Street , Disney and Apple are disagreeing over how many Disney-owned channels will be available in Apple's television content bundle.



Disney is pushing Apple to include most of its channel offerings, while Apple wants to offer fewer channels in an effort to keep prices lower. Disney's channels include ESPN and Disney Channel, along with several spinoffs channels like Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, and more. Disney also owns ABC channels that Apple feels are essential, like ABC Family, so Apple may be forced to agree to offer more Disney channels to ensure negotiations go smoothly.





Disney is said to be asking for "the strongest deal it can get," according to one of The Street's sources, to avoid upsetting other cable providers and endangering existing revenue streams.

Disney likely would insist that Apple offer all of its channels to as many subscribers as possible. Many cable operators have "most favored nation" clauses in their contracts with Disney that could require ESPN to be carried as widely as possible. If Apple enabled its subscribers to pick and choose which channels to take, other cable channels could use that clause to cut back on lesser watched Disney channels.

Disney CEO Bob Iger sits on Apple's board of directors and was a longtime friend of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and the two companies have worked together several times over the years. Disney was the first company to partner with Apple to offer content like television shows through iTunes in 2005. Despite the disagreement over the number of Disney channels to be included in Apple's television service, The Street suggests that Disney is likely to remain one of Apple's content partners.



Apple is planning to announce its streaming television service and its content partners at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, ahead of a fall launch. Rumors have suggested the service will include approximately 25 channels and will be offered at a price between $30 and $40.



Apple's television service announcement may also be accompanied by the launch of a new Apple TV set top box, which is said to be in the works. The set-top box is rumored to include a full App Store, Siri integration, an A8 processor, and a dramatic increase in internal storage.

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Posted in 2015 at 09:43PM, April 08

DO THIS NOW: How to remove your info from almost every background check site on the planet

Most background check sites are just awful. They scrape public records from across the country and compile data about everyone they possibly can. That data is often incomplete, outdated and even inaccurate. Then, they bait people in by displaying preliminary results for free searches along with a message that additional information is available at a price.

To make matters even worse, they never obtain permission from people listed on the site, and they don't have to since all the info they collect is public.

Thankfully, there are ways to have your info removed from nearly every single one of these sites, but you had better brew a fresh pot of coffee because this is not going to be an easy process.

Continue reading...

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Posted in 2015 at 09:45PM, April 08

Apple Launches Comprehensive New Siri Website With Categories, Example Requests

Apple today launched a newly updated Siri website, which gives a comprehensive look at the voice assistant built into the company's iOS devices. The site opens with a quick overview of what Siri can do, and then provides users with a list of categories featuring Siri's different abilities: At a Glance, Staying in Touch, Getting Organized, Sports, Entertainment, Out and About, Getting Answers, and Tips and Tricks.

Talk to Siri as you would to a friend and it can help you get things done -- like sending messages, placing calls, or making dinner reservations. You can ask Siri to show you the Orion constellation or to flip a coin. Siri works hands-free, so you can ask it to show you the best route home and what your ETA is while driving. And it's connected to the world, working with Wikipedia, Yelp, Rotten Tomatoes, Shazam, and other online services to get you even more answers. The more you use Siri, the more you'll realize how great it is. And just how much it can do for you.

Each category offers a look at the different commands that Siri can work with. "At a Glance" gives a quick rundown of a random assortment of questions that can be asked, like "When is the sunset in Paris?" and "What movies are playing today?" while other categories offer a more specific selection of available commands.



"Getting Organized," for example," includes commands specific to apps like Calendar and Reminders, such as "What does the rest of my day look like?" and "Remember to pick up dry cleaning next Friday." "Entertainment" includes commands like "Show me the trailer for Boyhood" and "Buy the latest season of Homeland."



Each of the pages offers a look at features many iOS users might not have known Siri was capable of, and they're organized in a compelling grid-like view that's easy to read and outfitted with pictures for visual appeal.





Apple previously had a site that offered information on Siri, but it was just a single page that offered more of an overview of what Siri can do rather than something more specific that drilled down into actual commands. The new Siri site offers a much deeper look at Siri's abilities.



Today's Siri website revamp follows the release of iOS 8.3 that added new Siri languages and the ability to make voice calls over the speakerphone using Siri. Apple has also added new Siri features to several additional countries, making local search, directions, and more available in countries like Brazil, Denmark, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, and Turkey.

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Posted in 2015 at 09:03PM, April 08

Apple Acquired Keyboard Startup 'Dryft' in 2014

Over the last few weeks, several previously unknown Apple acquisitions have surfaced. In March, Bloomberg shared news of the company's purchase of data analytics firm Acunu, and earlier this week, TechCrunch reported that Apple had acquired search technology startup Ottocat in 2013.



TechCrunch has now shared news of another acquisition that happened in 2014 -- the purchase of Dryft, a startup that specialized in creating keyboard apps. Dryft chief technology officer Randy Marsden, who also co-founded Swype, is listed as an "iOS Keyboard Manager" that joined Apple in September of 2014, suggesting the acquisition may have occurred around that date.



Dryft's technology was a keyboard that appeared only on the screen when a user placed a finger on the display, and as described by TechCrunch, it's "essentially a keyboard for tablets that tracks your fingers' movements," meaning it appears wherever your fingers are placed on the screen.





It is not clear if Apple plans to incorporate this specific technology into iOS or if it made the purchase of Dryft to acquire the company's employees to work on other keyboard features. As of iOS 8, Apple's operating system supports keyboards created by third-party developers, but the company has continued work on its own keyboard. iOS 8 brought keyboard improvements like QuickType, which offers word predictions to speed up typing.



Apple confirmed the acquisition to TechCrunch with its standard purchase statement: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

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Posted in 2015 at 08:28PM, April 08

Xbox One is about to become every cord cutter’s dream console

This might be a fairly specific scenario, but if you own an Xbox One and are on the fence about signing up for a cable subscription, Microsoft might have just made the decision for you. On Wednesday, the Xbox team announced that it would be bringing over-the-air TV functionality to Xbox One owners in the United States and Canada.

Continue reading...

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Posted in 2015 at 07:45PM, April 08

Siri Features, CarPlay Support Expanded to Additional Countries [iOS Blog]

Apple today updated its iOS 8 Feature Availability page to note that support for Siri certain features and CarPlay has been expanded to new countries.



CarPlay functionality is now accessible in Brazil, China, India, Thailand, and Turkey, in addition to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States.



Different countries have gained new Siri features like Sports scores, Twitter integration, and Shazam, as listed below:



Sports - India, New Zealand

Twitter integration - Brazil, Denmark, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey

Facebook integration - Brazil, Denmark, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey

Local Search - Brazil, Denmark, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey

Directions - Brazil, Denmark, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey

Shazam - Brazil, Denmark, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey



Today's iOS 8.3 update also brought additional changes to CarPlay and Siri, adding wireless CarPlay support to alleviate the need for a Lightning cable with some CarPlay installations, and new Siri languages.

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Posted in 2015 at 07:24PM, April 08